Project-17A

I've heard very little about India's forthcoming P-17A Stealth Frigates. How is the program progressing and how will they compare with types such as the French/Italian FREMM Class Frigates and the UK Type-26? (for example)

I've heard very little about India's forthcoming P-17A Stealth Frigates. How is the program progressing and how will they compare with types such as the French/Italian FREMM Class Frigates and the UK Type-26? (for example)

Click to expand...

Even the steel cutting has not started....so no idea what it is going to be like.

I've heard very little about India's forthcoming P-17A Stealth Frigates. How is the program progressing and how will they compare with types such as the French/Italian FREMM Class Frigates and the UK Type-26? (for example)

Click to expand...

Media might say it is at par or better then French, Italian ships or even worlds best in its class, anyways it will be a development in Indian war Shipbuilding industries, wrt previous models. A learning curve.

It is estimated that the first Project 17A FFG will be launched five years (within 60 months, or by 2017) after its keel-laying ceremony (to be held in the latter half of next year), followed by the remaining six FFGs being delivered every successive year through to 2023. The CCNS decision is likely to result in the Project 17 FFGâ€™s design being modified to accommodate new-generation weapon systems like the Barak-2 MR-SAM/EL/M-2248 MF-STAR combination instead of the Cashmere area air defence system (comprising the 24 rounds of 40km-range 9M317M Shtil-1 MR-SAMs, 3S-90 missile launcher, four MR-90 Orekh target illuminators, and the Salyut FSUE-built E-band MR-760 Fregat M2EM 3-D radar); plus BrahMos vertically-launched supersonic multi-role cruise missiles instead of the eight Novator-built 3M54E Klub-N supersonic 220km-range anti-ship cruise missiles. The crew complement will likely be reduced from the existing 257 (including 35 officers) to about 150 by introducing high levels of automation, which will translate into a savings of around 20 per cent in operational costs and higher operational availability of the warships.

The Project 17A FFGâ€™s superstructure will also make extensive use of composites similar to whatâ€™s now being done on board the four Project 28 Kamorta-class ASW corvettes now under fabrication by GRSE. The decision to fast-track the project 17A FFG construction programme comes close on the heels of a major upgrade

India's largest ever indigenous defence contract is shortly expected to get final approval with the Navy freezing the design and specifications for the P 17 A stealth warships and completing all commercial negotiations for the project.

Top Navy designers who have been working on the project have confirmed that the project is expected to get final clearances from the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) shortly after which construction of seven modern warships will commence at shipyards in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The mega project, that was expected to be worth Rs 45,000 crore when it was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC) in 2009, is billed as a game changer for the Indian ship-building industry not only for being the most expensive Indian warship yet but also because it will give shipyards the critical technology of modular construction that enables a rapid production rate.

The Navy's top ship designer, the Director General of Naval Design Rear Admiral A K Saxena, said Friday the P 17 A class frigates would be in the 6,700-ton category and would have the latest in stealth features, including fully concealed weapon systems and sensors.

"The warships will have the latest stealth features as well as advanced indigenous weapon systems. The modular construction methodology that GRSE (Kolkata) and MDL (Mumbai) have acquired will ensure the warships will be built in a reduced time-frame," a senior Navy officer said. While GRSE will construct three ships, four will be constructed by MDL.

The new generation warships, which will be based on the P 17 'Shivalik' class that has already been inducted but will be larger at 149 metre with a draught of 5.3 metre, are currently running behind schedule by at least two years.

As per the original plan approved by the Defence Ministry in 2009, the shipyards were to commence production by 2011 after the two shipyards had absorbed modular construction technology. The last of the seven frigates were to be inducted by 2021.

Indiaâ€™s largest ever indigenous defence contract is shortly expected to get final approval with the Navy freezing the design and specifications for the P 17 A stealth warships and completing all commercial negotiations for the project.

Top Navy designers who have been working on the project have confirmed that the project is expected to get final clearances from the Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) shortly after which construction of seven modern warships will commence at shipyards in Kolkata and Mumbai.

The mega project, that was expected to be worth Rs 45,000 crore when it was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Committee (DAC) in 2009, is billed as a game changer for the Indian ship-building industry not only for being the most expensive Indian warship yet but also because it will give shipyards the critical technology of modular construction that enables a rapid production rate.

The Navyâ€™s top ship designer, the Director General of Naval Design Rear Admiral A K Saxena, said Friday the P 17 A class frigates would be in the 6,700-ton category and would have the latest in stealth features, including fully concealed weapon systems and sensors.

â€œThe warships will have the latest stealth features as well as advanced indigenous weapon systems. The modular construction methodology that GRSE (Kolkata) and MDL (Mumbai) have acquired will ensure the warships will be built in a reduced time-frame,â€ a senior Navy officer said. While GRSE will construct three ships, four will be constructed by MDL.

The new generation warships, which will be based on the P 17 â€˜Shivalikâ€™ class that has already been inducted but will be larger at 149 metre with a draught of 5.3 metre, are currently running behind schedule by at least two years.

As per the original plan approved by the Defence Ministry in 2009, the shipyards were to commence production by 2011 after the two shipyards had absorbed modular construction technology. The last of the seven frigates were to be inducted by 2021.

The frigates are expected to be equipped with the latest version of the Brahmos missile, possibly the hypersonic variant if developed on time.

The Project 17A frigates will be more advanced and stealthier than the P17 Shivalik class warships currently being inducted into the Navy.

The stealth features will include
Missile silos flush with the deck
Torpedo launchers blending along the sides of the vessel.
Concealed hangar for a Kamov helicopter.

P 17 ships are based on the Project 11356 (Talwar / Krivak IV class) ships being acquired from Russia, and were designed jointly by the Naval Design Bureau (NDB) and Russia's Severnoye Project Design Bureau (Severnoye Proyektno-Konstruktorskoye Bjuro - SPKB), the designers of the N11356 frigate.

Project 17 class ships were manufactured exclusively by MDL. By involving GRSE in the construction of P 17A ships, the DAC hopes to speed up construction of the seven warships as well as create the infrastructure at both the dockyard for modular building of large warships.

The new frigates will be 'longer, broader, faster and stealthier'' than the three 6,100-ton Shivalik-class frigates.

"The new frigates will also have the 290-km BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, apart from other advanced weapons and sensors, for a greater offensive punch in all the three dimensions (air, surface and underwater),'' a source told the TOI in July 2012.

Thanks sir, saw this at L&T, they make it.
BTW is that protective anti-flash clothing crew is wearing, earlier i saw this with french navy guys. Hope this will be standard operating procedure for all navy ships. Safety first, rest of things later, that should be policy.

Thanks sir, saw this at L&T, they make it.
BTW is that protective anti-flash clothing crew is wearing, earlier i saw this with french navy guys. Hope this will be standard operating procedure for all navy ships. Safety first, rest of things later, that should be policy.

I thought it is to hide the identity of the operator from each other so that decision making remains independent not connived (just in case; a security feature). If my thought is right then they have failed to hide their identity. I may be wrong.

I thought it is to hide the identity of the operator from each other so that decision making remains independent not connived (just in case; a security feature). If my thought is right then they have failed to hide their identity. I may be wrong.